Turkey has said that the Turkish nationals as well as the Afghan and Russian pilots are in good health after a helicopter was forced to land in Afghanistan. Turkish officials told Reuters news agency that they are in contact with Afghan counterparts over the incident.

"The helicopter was carrying eight Turks, the pilots were Russian and Afghan. We believe they are in good health and Turkish officials are in contact with Afghan officials over the issue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Levent Gumrukcu said.

A helicopter carrying at least six Turkish engineers and two foreign pilots made an emergency landing in a Taliban-controlled area of eastern Afghanistan, officials have told Reuters, and it is possible they are being held by insurgents.

The helicopter, owned by air charter company Khorasan Cargo Airlines, made an emergency landing in Logar province late on Sunday due to bad weather, a Khorasan staff member said on condition of anonymity.

The helicopter was carrying six or seven engineers from a Turkish construction company, two foreign pilots and an Afghan pilot, the Khorasan staff member said.